New York’s 49th State Senate District is the largest legislative district in the state, encompassing Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson and Lewis Counties, along with parts of Herkimer, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties.
Since 2023, Republican Mark Walczyk has served as its state Senator.
"I hope the people that I represent really see that I've been a real advocate for them in Albany for common sense policy that they're looking for," Walczyk said.
Walczyk lives outside of Sackets Harbor with his family. He’s worked in government for years, on the Watertown City Council and as a state Assemblyman. The 41-year-old is also a major in the U.S. Army Reserves and was deployed to the Middle East in 2024.
This election is the first time Walczyk has an opponent for his Senate seat. He’s up against a Democratic newcomer: Lewis County native Cassie Robbins-Forbus.
"I recognize the time that we're in, the area that we live, and the ways that we can be called to do better and do more and at least challenge and give people a voice and an option on a ballot," Robbins-Forbus said.
Robbins-Forbus was born and raised in Lowville. She moved away before returning home to teach Spanish at Lowville Academy.
She later worked at the Kraft-Heinz plant and in nonprofits focused on youth drug and alcohol prevention. Now, at 47-years old, Robbins-Forbus works as a grant writer for Samaritan Medical Center. She said she sees first-hand how federal health care cuts are hurting the North Country.
"So many folks already lack the ability to travel and have transportation. So taking away access to critical health care at this time, it scares me. It fills me with a lot of feelings that I need to be pushed towards helping and inspiring change," she said.
On top of that, Robbins-Forbus said she wants to make sure North Country schools aren’t falling through the cracks.
"I want to make sure that it's fair and equitable with our tax dollars and to also make sure that rural schools are strengthened, which is why I'm very much against the school voucher system at this point because I don't want to see public money taken and given to private [schools]," she said.
Another top issue for voters this election cycle: the cost of living.
One way Walczyk wants to tackle it is by combating rising energy prices, he said. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows New York had some of the highest costs for residential electricity this past July.
"We really need to change that. We have no excuse for it here in New York," Walczyk said. "We have abundant natural resources. We have two state-run hydrofacilities and lots of opportunity for energy here."
Another way to address rising costs is to rein in the state budget, Walczyk said.
"If we were hemming all of that reckless spending in New York already and we said we were fiscally responsible and we're good, there's plenty of things where you can trade to not put that property tax burden onto our counties and onto the taxpayers that I represent," he said.
Walczyk is part of the majority in his district, where there are 52,000 more Republicans registered to vote than Democrats. But in Albany, he’s in the minority. That hasn’t stopped him from getting things done, Walczyk said.
"I've changed policy by being the voice of opposition. I've gotten the other party sometimes by being very tough on the floor to back off on ideas that didn't make sense, and working with members across the aisle on some bipartisan consensus to get things done is also very important," he said.
Robbins-Forbus knows her candidacy is an uphill battle in a district that overwhelmingly supported Trump in the last election. But she thinks sending a Democrat to represent the North Country might be the way to get Albany to listen to its needs.
"Sometimes because many of our representatives are in the minority party, their voices aren't heard, or their concerns aren't legitimized. And that's a big problem when the rest of us up here suffer for it," Robbins-Forbus said. "So, bringing a different voice to Albany, then can tailor policy and make sure that things make sense across the board and that's not one-size-fits-all."
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
